Financial Armageddon for Universities in Arizona?

Several folks have flagged the scary proposals floating around the legislature. Nothing is official yet, and the pushback--which includes large student rallies--may mean that more reasonable budget cuts are proposed. Arizona readers: insights or links to stories about these developments? Other U.S. readers: are other state legislatures contemplating similarly draconian measures? Readers outside the U.S.: how is higher education faring in the current economic climate?

UPDATE: Thanks to a commenter, below, I see that Arizona State University is implementing mandatory unpaid furloughs of two to three weeks for all employees between now and the end of the fiscal year, which is this summer. More details here. Faculty must take furlough days on days when they do not have teaching duties.

This is pretty dramatic, but I fear it's not atypical of what we will see elsewhere as the economic crisis unfolds.

ANOTHER: The Texas Governor Rick Perry (who is unusually inept even by the standards of Texas politics) hasproposed freezing tuition, which could create serious problems given the reliance of UT Austin in recent years on increased tuition to make up for declining state support. (Tuition was 'deregulated' several years ago, meaning it was no longer micro-managed by the legislature; Perry's proposal, and its bipartisan appeal, signals a possible return to the old days.) On the other hand, the financial situation in Texas, and the universities, is significantly stronger than elsewhere in the country by all reports I've had from my former colleagues.

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Financial Armageddon for Universities in Arizona?

Several folks have flagged the scary proposals floating around the legislature. Nothing is official yet, and the pushback--which includes large student rallies--may mean that more reasonable budget cuts are proposed. Arizona readers: insights or links to stories about these developments? Other U.S. readers: are other state legislatures contemplating similarly draconian measures? Readers outside the U.S.: how is higher education faring in the current economic climate?

UPDATE: Thanks to a commenter, below, I see that Arizona State University is implementing mandatory unpaid furloughs of two to three weeks for all employees between now and the end of the fiscal year, which is this summer. More details here. Faculty must take furlough days on days when they do not have teaching duties.

This is pretty dramatic, but I fear it's not atypical of what we will see elsewhere as the economic crisis unfolds.

ANOTHER: The Texas Governor Rick Perry (who is unusually inept even by the standards of Texas politics) hasproposed freezing tuition, which could create serious problems given the reliance of UT Austin in recent years on increased tuition to make up for declining state support. (Tuition was 'deregulated' several years ago, meaning it was no longer micro-managed by the legislature; Perry's proposal, and its bipartisan appeal, signals a possible return to the old days.) On the other hand, the financial situation in Texas, and the universities, is significantly stronger than elsewhere in the country by all reports I've had from my former colleagues.